Relationship Development System

Several years ago during a severe storm, a tree feel on our house. Luckily no one was hurt, but the tree was very close to my youngest daughter's bedroom, and I knew I needed to have the tree removed as soon as possible. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember the name of "our tree guy", probably because it was a very stressful situation. Yet, I knew that he was my guy; I trusted him. I knew he was going to show up and get the job done. I didn’t want to take my chances with anyone else. I didn’t want an estimate. I didn’t want to wait weeks to have the tree removed. I wanted the issue to be resolved effortlessly. I finally tracked him down, and just as I thought, he fixed our situation immediately.

As I reflect back, I realized he needed to be contacting his clients monthly. He needed to send us friendly reminders letting us know that he was still there if we needed any help with anything. If I hadn’t been able to locate him, I would have been forced to use a random company that I had found on the Internet, and I knew that wasn’t what I wanted or needed. I have seen many businesses in this same exact spot. They are successful enough, but they don’t have time to communicate with their current and past clients. They just aren’t as successful as they could be. And in the end, they end up loosing potential business because past clients have lost touch with them.

The most important thing you can do for your business is to keep fueling your referral engine by creating a Relationship Development System (RDS). Your database of past, present, and potential clients should be current, and your systematic messages need to hold value. In Chas Wilson’s book, Five Plus One: The Entrepreneurs Formula for Success, he states that you need to master targeting by identify, locating, and contacting a steady stream of people who want what you have to offer. Technically you don’t exist and are out of business if you don’t have any customers, so it all comes down to finding, attracting and retaining customers.

Not only would I have benefited from my tree guy utilizing an RDS, his business would have also benefitted.

A misconception about networking that is made all too often is focusing on the numbers. People cast a wide net, hoping to gain an abundance of leads. Only to find they have come up empty-handed. Quantity and quality rarely correlate. When building your network, your focus should be on gaining quality leads rather than focusing on the quantity. Yet, that is easier said than done. Here are a few steps to follow that will help you make the most out of networking.

Inquire – Ask questions. There are three key questions that you should ask after exchanging business cards.

How did you get involved in your field?

What do you like most about your industry?

What does your ideal client look like?

Listen – Actually listen to their answers and build a genuine rapport. Instead of being self-involved and making the conversation about yourself, be genuine and show interest by listening to what they have to say. Don’t ask questions expecting to give your answers, and don’t be afraid to leave a little time for chitchat.

Follow up – Go beyond a generic follow up email. Think outside the box and do your homework. Develop a strategy that is mutually beneficial; yet, expect nothing in return. Instead of asking for their customer database or expecting them to refer others to you, find out how you can collaborate to help each other.

Be Patient – Building quality leads takes time. Like any relationship, building trust takes time, and quality leads equal trust. To build trust, treat them like a potential client by showing them your product or service and how you treat clients.

Follow these steps and your leads will gradually begin to buy in, and then a genuine relationship will be built, which will result in a quality and active referral network.

~ Tina Campbell, Regional Partner, Master Networks NY & Western CT